Apples After Midnight
by Xekstrin
Summary: Marceline tries to patch things up with Bubblegum; it doesn't go down exactly as planned. Many sexy/wacky hi-jinks ensue.
1. Apples After Midnight

**A/N**: So I have this thing where I can't ever write about healthy relationships?

**OoOoOo**

One day, the Princess would actually remember how much it hurt her legs to stand all day, and she would invest in a wheeled chair. Climbing up the stairs to her bedroom, step by agonizing step, she envisioned a future her, a better her. In some alternate universe there was a happy princess whizzing around her laboratory on a comfortable chair, learning new things and not having to feel the burn later. Of course, it was a rare day that she was able to _be_ in her lab interrupted for that amount of time. So many hours were spent ruling her kingdom, keeping the peace, updating the laws, learning about her people… she inevitably forgot about her plans for a new chair every time.

She wasn't sure how she got ready for bed; it all passed in a pink blur. But soon she found herself sitting in front of her vanity in that old ratty black t-shirt she loved so much, too tired to even look for the matching pair of candy-corn printed pajama bottoms she'd bought to go along with it. Mindlessly combing her hair, she stared into the mirror, wondering why she even bothered when it was just going to be a big sticky mess in the morning anyway.

Then a hand touched her shoulder, cool and soft.

"So you do wear my shirt."

Screeching, Bubblegum hopped to her feet, whirling around to face her attacker. Wielding her comb as though it were a sword, she stammered, "Get back, you, or I'll-"

"Brush me to death?"

Bubblegum froze.

It was Marceline, with a basket of apples in hand and her bass slung over her back.

Not sure how to react, Bubblegum just stood there for a few solid seconds, the gears in her head turning. "Oh," she said at last, lowering her arms to her side. Then she started, dropping her comb and yanking down on the hem of her shirt to try and cover her lower half. "_Oh_! Marceline, haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

Lifting up off the ground, Marceline floated around the Princess. The basket was forgotten, deposited on the vanity. "Aw look, she's embarrassed," she said, snatching Bubblegum's crown off of a hook on the wall next to the vanity and putting it on. Relaxing in the air as though she were lying down, Marceline tucked her hands behind her head and closed her eyes, drifting lazily about the bedroom. "Relax, Peebs. It's not like I haven't seen it all before."

The princess wasn't going to respond to that. "Why are you here?" she asked instead, sitting down again and crossing her long pink legs. If she saw Marceline take a peek out of half lidded eyes, she didn't say anything about that, either.

"Bringin' a gift. Apples are maybe the only thing we ever could agree on, right?" Switching so that she was now "lying" on her stomach, she rested her chin in her hands. Air whistled past Bubblegum's face as Marceline flew over her, planting the crown back on top of her royal pink head. "I thought maybe we could try to be friends again."

"Right." Bubblegum turned towards the mirror, knowing she wouldn't be able to see the vampire queen that way. "Of course."

A room temperature chin rested on top of her head, causing her to start again. Her reflection remained alone even as she felt hands knead at her shoulders in a more than friendly way. Or maybe it was all in her imagination. Or maybe Marceline wanted to get back together. Or maybe that was crazy talk. Or maybe Marceline just wanted a quick fling and figured Bubblegum wouldn't mind.

Bubblegum wasn't sure if she minded.

"Aw come on, Bonnibel don't tell me that whole thing with the Door Lord was just a show. I'm really going out of my way here, y'know, the least I can expect is a little reciprocation."

Blinking blearily at her reflection, Bubblegum could only grunt.

She felt Marceline stiffen, and then pull away. "Fine. Be that way then."

Too late, Bubblegum realized her exhaustion was coming off as anger. "Oh, Marceline- no-" Did Marceline really not realize most candy people weren't awake at two in the morning? Had she forgotten this? Turning around in her chair again, she looked and didn't see Marceline- only an open balcony door. "Oh, gumballs."

Scrambling to her feet, she ran to the balcony, looking around for the shape of darkness against the night.

"Marceline!" she shouted into the night, waiting for a response.

Silence.

"Marceline, wait!" And quieter, because she wasn't sure anyone could hear her, she added, "I… I'm sorry."

Nothing answered her but her own echo.

Oh_ cherry-filled_ gumballs!

Rage boiled inside her, frothing like milk left too long on the burner. Who was Marceline to demand anything of her, anyway? A ragged queen of a barbaric people. No one of any real power or importance, just the biggest bully on the top of the heap. She was trash. Filling her lungs with air, Bubblegum ran to the edge of the balcony, gripping the railing as tight as she could and screamed until she couldn't scream any more.

No one noticed. No one else was awake at this hour, after all.

With all her frustration vented, Bubblegum only had an empty pit inside her chest where her anger had been. "This is why we broke up," she murmured to no one, sinking down to the balcony floor with clear, liquid sugar tears running down her face. "You don't ever let me explain."

A grey apple dropped next to her, and a clear, resonant note sounded above her. Heart leaping into her throat for about the fiftieth time that night, Bubblegum realized she had been looking in the wrong direction.

Marceline was sitting on her roof, looking down with a smug grin and her bass in her arms. "The best part of running away is checking to see if anyone chases you."

"You." Bubblegum got up to her feet, face flushing.

"Hi."

"I can't believe you- you made me- you heard me-"

"Hmm?" Cupping one hand to her pointy ear, Marceline pantomimed deafness. "What? I can't hear anything over the resounding awesomeness of how right I am."

"Why are you _really _here, Marceline?"

Swooping down from her perch, she moved faster than Bubblegum could see. Halting just inches away, she loomed over the princess, staring her down. "Maybe I like hearing you say you're sorry."

Heat rushed to her face. Marceline was too close. She was getting distracted. "Go lick yourself," Bubblegum swore at her, marching straight back inside her bedroom, making sure to securely lock the balcony door. Unperturbed, Marceline hovered just outside her window, picking out a tune and then picking up the pace, letting her voice hover through the silent night air.

_"I'm a killer, cold and wrathful, silent sleeper; I've been inside your bedroom."_

"Be quiet, Marceline!" Bubblegum shouted, diving onto her bed and pulling the pillow over her head to try and block out the strange serenade. "I am trying to sleep!"

_"I've murdered half the town and left you love notes on their headstones."_

Growling, she twisted onto her side, curling into a ball. "Not listening, not listening, lalalalaa…"

_"I'll fill the graveyards until I have you. I want you stuffed into my mouth, hold you down and tear you open, live inside you… Oh, love, I'd never hurt you."_

The song intensified, Marceline's cold eyes peering through her window, daring her to remember the last time she'd sung a song to her.

_"But I'll **grind **against your **bones **until our marrows mix-"_

The windows swung open, and Marceline stopped mid-strum, blinking in surprise at the fierce pink princess who was currently glaring at her.

Then Bubblegum started pelting the vampire queen with the rest of the apples, each one punctuated by an angry shout. "Get! Out! Of! Here! You! Vagrant! _Verlierer_! No good! Butthead!"

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Marceline shielded herself with her axe, hissing. "You're the one being a butthead, you butthead!"

"Stop singing me your creepy love songs!" One apple left. She made it count, pausing long enough for Marceline to peek around the body of her axe to see if it was safe. Bubblegum made sure it hit her right in the face, eliciting a much louder hiss.

"That's it." She whooshed inside the open window, tossing the axe to the side as she grabbed Bubblegum around her waist, pulling her up and slamming her against the ceiling. "Do not ever insult my music. You might not get it but it comes from my cold undead heart and I mean every word of it."

Vertigo made it hard to answer, but she managed to get over the blood rushing to her head to say, "You let me down this instant, Marceline."

Their bodies were flush. Marceline was keeping her pinned down with one arm still around her waist. Her free hand grasped both of Bubblegum's flailing arms by the wrists, pressing them against the unyielding wall. The difference in their strength was such that Bubblegum couldn't even try to wriggle free. "Apologize first."

They butted heads. "Bite me."

Wrong choice of words.

A wailing yelp sounded through out the spacious room, all the more poignant because it didn't sound anything like someone in pain. Two dark shapes writhed on the ceiling, tense and self-contained. Noises drifted down. Little cries and whimpers- a gasp- "Marceline…" and a hiss of pleasure. "You're… you're taking too much…Marceline!"

There still wasn't any fear in that voice, just a special brand of agony.

Even so, it took Marceline a moment to pull free, smacking her lips and gasping. She didn't need air, but desperately craved it anyway. Some habits were hard to break. Bubblegum clung to her, arms free to wrap around the vampire queen's body. Floating down gently, Marceline crumpled onto the bed with Bubblegum on top of her, fingers gently caressed a white blotch on her ex-girlfriend's neck. Life returned to it after a few moments, the circulation of her sweet blood doing its work to return her back to her natural healthy rose color.

Blowing out another deep breath, Bubblegum lifted herself up with both arms to look down at Marceline, still sweating and twisting on the bed every so often, trying to hide how much drinking from Bubblegum had affected her.

"Marceline."

It was hard to talk, but somehow she managed. "Yeah, Bonni?"

"I propose that we have sexual relations. As soon as possible."

That surprised a laugh out of her. "Whoop whoop," she sighed, stretching languorously underneath the other girl. There was a reason she rarely drank from living people- it did a lot more than just satisfy her hunger. "Just.. Mm… gimme a minute…"

She watched Marceline regain her composure with narrowed eyes, waiting for when she seemed almost lucid again to mutter: "I'm still not sorry."

Yellow eyes glanced at her before rolling heavenward. Whatever. The vampire was too wound up to say anything, but her thumb was still caressing Bubblegum's bite mark. While her face had returned to a more natural form, her eyes were still beastly, and all her teeth were sharp and ready.

"You're never sorry," she said at last. Tucking a strand of pink hair behind Bubblegum's ear, she cupped the other girl's face and sat up, kissing her gently where she had injured her.

Bubblegum allowed a soft sigh to escape her lips, shuffling so that she was sitting comfortably on the vampire's lap with her legs wrapped around her cold frame. Sitting up further, Marceline cautiously put her hands on Bubblegum's waist, causing the other girl to twitch. It'd been an obscene amount of time since she'd let anyone touch her, and every contact felt like an electric shock.

Reaching down, she guided one of Marceline's hands further, placing it over her bottom which Marceline was all to glad to squeeze. But soon she was back to Bubblegum's face, grasping her head with both hands to turn it this way and that, peppering her with kisses and licks, sucking carefully on the sensitive candy flesh just under her ear where she was most receptive.

Her voice had just a hint of a rasp, restraint mixed with desire. "I missed you, B."

"I know." Bubblegum kissed her.

A very obvious evasion. It stung. It cemented what Marceline thought she already knew: she wouldn't be getting any love confessions tonight. Feeling like she might burst with frustration both emotional and physical, she grabbed the princess harder than she meant to, her snake-like tongue tasting deep past those pink lips, not waiting or asking for permission. Bubblegum made a small noise of protest, pulling free from the deep kiss to breathe, chest heaving under her black tshirt. Oh. Right. Living people needed to do that now and again. Marceline decided to let her have her airways and bent down to Bubblegum's neck again, chewing gently enough to pull at her skin but not hard enough to break it again.

Bubblegum's hands slipped down the back of her shirt as Marceline went lower, pressing her face against the princess' chest and sighing with content as she felt soft candy hands knead at her shoulder blades. Then she chuckled, glancing up with a smug smirk. "Did you, ah, make a few modifications when you made yourself eighteen again, Bonni?"

Heat rushed through Bubblegum's body, and Marceline savored feeling it underneath her hands as she pulled up her ex-girlfriend's tshirt and quickly tossed it aside. The princess immediately covered her chest with her arms, still radiating delicious heat.

"Don't be vulgar."

Coolly peeling her arms free from her chest, Marceline bent forward again, licking the tip of one pert nipple. It tasted like someone had dipped it in powdered sugar. Even if they were a little bigger since the last time she'd seen them, they tasted the same. "I'm just making an observation."

She reached down, causing the princess to moan as she rubbed at her crotch through her soaked panties. "Ohhh. Then…Then don't stop, please."

Another quick pounce, a grapple faster than mortal eyes could see, and she had reversed their positions, lying Bubblegum down on the bed and running her hand along her firm belly. Kissing her everywhere she could reach, extending her tongue as far as it could go, she lapped up the crisp sweetness of her lover's sweat, biting hard on skin that was just a shade tougher than one would expect a person made of gum to be. She tore easily through the princess' flimsy panties, tossing them to join the shirt on the floor. Bubblegum didn't notice or didn't care, squirming and gasping as Marceline's lips danced down her body.

Kneeling between Bubblegum's legs, she grasped one and gently extended it, leaving a trail of kisses all the way to her ankle and back again, hovering, teasing between Bubblegum's twitching thighs with the very tip of her tongue.

"Poor sweetie," she found herself murmuring, nuzzling the inside of Bubblegum's wet thighs, relishing in the feel of her lover's strong, slender fingers combing through her hair, almost frantic with need. "When was the last time you took care of yourself, hmm? Or let someone take care of you?"

Experimentally, she flicked her tongue between her swollen lower lips once, glancing up to see how the princess would react. She didn't disappoint. Biting her lower lip and gasping, Bubblegum couldn't stop her hips from jerking upwards, seeking more. Laughing softly, she kissed the inside of Bubblegum's thighs again, inhaling the scent of her desire.

Then she trembled before digging her fangs deep into the soft pink flesh of her inner thigh, pulling hard at the color there.

Bubblegum actually screamed, surprise mingling with intense want. But this time Marceline was prepared for the heady sensation and rolled along with the waves of pleasure threatening to overwhelm Bubblegum. She dragged herself away from the second bite mark with a little more difficulty, though, as Bubblegum was in no state to remind her.

Licking the bite mark, trying to gather up any color she had missed, she slid one finger inside of Bubblegum, thrusting steadily. When she spoke, her voice was ragged. "Say you're sorry," Marceline demanded, her whole body resisting the urge to drain the rest of the color straight out of Bubblegum's body. "And I'll stop playing rough."

"You-" pant "Can't" huff "Be" _uhhhn_ "Serious."

Marceline noticed, then, that Bubblegum had somehow managed to keep one piece of clothing on throughout this- her crown. Smirking, Marceline flicked that aside too before flipping Bubblegum over, one hand full of her pink hair and the other one lightly- lightly- dragging her long sharp nails down her soft back, enjoying another squeal of pleasure. She took her from behind, adding another finger and reaching around to stroke her soft wet pearl with her other hand.

"Say you're sorry," she demanded again, penetrating her with three fingers now. Rough.

Even if she was buck naked, glistening with sweat and sex, the princess tried to retain her regal pride. She looked at Marceline over her shoulder, expression torn between desire and dismay. "I…I won't beg for this." She made to sit up but Marceline pushed her down again with a playful growl, nipping at her shoulder.

"Did I say beg?" Marceline asked. "No. I said apologize. Two words. Very simple." She claimed Bubblegum's mouth again, kissing her fiercely and, on impulse, removed her fingers to give Bonni's ass a loud, sharp slap.

Bubblegum gasped.

"Hmm," Marceline said, all her teeth displayed in a full grin. She stopped her ministrations all together, grasping Bubblegum by the hips. "Well, well. Liked that, did we?"

The princess flushed. "What? What do you- ah!" she squeaked as Marceline dragged her whole body up and over her lap. Legs kicking, a protesting squeal got cut short by a delighted moan as Marceline spanked her again.

"M-Marcy. I-"

The usage of her old pet name only spurred her on further. "Are you going to apologize?" Trailing her fingers down along the curve of her sore bottom, she went lower and started gently stroking Bubblegum between her legs. "Or am I going to have to punish you?"

The princess was gripping the sheets. Her blush had spread all the way down her shoulders. "I- ooohh- I have n-nothing to be sorry for."

She hit her harder, losing just a little bit more of her restraint. "Wrong answer. Do it again and I'll bite you right on the asscheek."

Bubblegum stiffened. "You wouldn't dare."

"I would so dare. And then tomorrow when you walk all funny and can't sit down in front of all your loyal subjects-"

"This is blackmail! Demeaning. Demeaning blackmail."

Slap.

"Nngh." She closed her eyes. "I refuse to be treated-" **SLAP**. "_Ahhnn~_"

"Then tell me how you want me to treat you, Princess," Marceline said. "Tell me. Say what I want to hear, and I'll do anything."

Bubblegum panted, torn between several uncomfortable truths. She liked the pain. She liked being tossed around as though she didn't weigh more than a rag doll. She was sweaty, exhausted from being up for almost twenty four hours, achingly unfulfilled and being driven mad by Marceline's teasing to the point that she probably would have agreed to anything as long as it meant some relief was in store.

Her throat bobbed.

"Well?" Marceline asked, her hand poised to deliver another spanking at any moment.

Clearing her throat in a manner much too dignified for her current position, Bubblegum cautiously spoke. "So you'll do what I want if I apologize… for whatever I did-"

The vampire queen grabbed one cheek tight enough for her nails to prick the surface. "For throwing apples at me."

"For throwing apples at you," she corrected herself.

"And being rude."

She could only agree. "And being rude." A pause. She looked over her shoulder at Marceline again, face partially obscured by her long candy hair. "Anything else?"

Hmm. What else? _Breaking my heart into a gazillion little pieces?_ No. Not now. That particular cathartic episode would have to wait for another night, when they weren't distracted by power games and throbbing, wet nether regions. "That's all. For now."

Bubblegum was quiet. Then she cleared her throat again; Marceline couldn't help but laugh. This would be the most polite sexual request ever, she just knew it. "If that's the case," she said, "Then I would… I um… I want you to…"

"Spit it out, Bonni."

"Use your mouth on me." A pause. "On your knees." Another pause. "And don't do that thing where you stop just before I'm climaxing and then tease me about it!"

"But you make the cutest noises when I deny you orgasms."

"Marcy. That drives me insane when you do that."

"Fine. Fine."

Bubblegum chuckled. "Now: I'm sorry for being rude and throwing apples at you, oh dearest of vampires, queen of the night and ruler of the skies, and I humbly beseech your awesomely rocking forgiveness."

"Was that so hard?" She ignored Bubblegum's muttered "yes" and released her grip on the princess with a parting smack, causing her to jolt right off her lap onto the bed. Playing at being graceful and subservient wasn't as hard as she thought it might be, sliding off the bed and onto her knees, beckoning the princess to come closer to the edge.

"Like this?" she asked, placing one slender, candy-coated leg over her shoulder. Then, because if she was going to do this submissive thing she was gonna do it right, she added, "Your majesty?"

Bubblegum felt goosebumps ripple down all over her bare skin as Marceline's long tongue started lapping at her wet thighs, searching for more of her sweet nectar. "Yes."

Then, finally- _finally_- her mouth enveloped her warm, sweet center, licking and sucking with earnest abandon. A low, satisfied purr escaped her chest as she felt Bubblegum's hands clutch at her head again, whimpering and stroking through the thick inky darkness of it. Sighing once, she willed her tongue to become a little firmer, a little larger, and dipped inside of Bubblegum rhythmically as her hands took over in stimulating the rest of her.

Marceline heard her name being whispered, felt Bubblegum tense as her hips started rocking of their own volition. Drawing back, she couldn't resist stopping for just a moment to stand up into a crouch, kissing the princess on the lips to let her taste herself. Bubblegum put her hands on the vampire's shoulders, pushing her back down and gasping. "I didn't tell you to stop."

"Of course, princess." She nipped at the bite mark, which still hadn't changed from being a pale white color. That time she had been much more ruthless, and it wouldn't heal as easily as the one on the princess' neck. "You just taste so good, I had to share."

Slowly picking up where she had left off, her tongue moved in firm, small circles. Remembering the paths to give her princess release was getting easier, and just like before she could sense it coming. She felt Bubblegum tense up completely, her breaths coming in hitched gasps, her grip on Marceline's hair almost tight enough to rip it out by the roots.

The noise she made as she came could almost be described as animal, a snarling sound that Marceline wasn't even aware her princess was capable of. Most importantly, Marceline finally was able to eat her fill. Licking the princess clean, she purred again as the spasmodic jerks settled down and the princess slumped forward, arms around Marceline's head and saying something in German that the vampire didn't quite catch.

Then, her weight suddenly became even heavier, her breathing more even. For a moment Marceline wondered if something was wrong, and then she heard it: a very light snore.

Bubblegum had passed out, completely drained after her stressful day and intense release. Marceline wasn't sure whether to be offended or flattered, so she settled with feeling amused and scooped the unconscious princess into her arms and tucking her into bed.

After she made sure all the windows were securely latched against the morning sun, she floated over to the bed and curled up next to her princess, stroking her soft pink hair. There wasn't any way of telling what tomorrow would bring, or if what they had just done was anything more than a quick fix for what they had both been craving. The vampire had come here to maybe try and patch things up. She was still intent on doing so.

The rest was up to Bonni.

Until then, she would wait right here, for as long as it took.


	2. Perfect First Pancakes, Part I

The sheets were cool and soft against her bare skin. For a moment, she felt a pressure on her neck, the quick _smek _of a parting kiss, and then the weight on the other side of her bed lessened.

"I'll be here when you wake up tomorrow, lover," Marceline promised her, and she mumbled some half-awake response. One cold hand stroked her face.

She thought it was a dream, and fell back into a deep slumber.

At first, she wasn't sure what woke her up: Peppermint Butler's nervous voice asking her if she was all right or the delicious aching that throbbed through out her whole body. Princess Bubblegum felt as though she had just run a few miles naked, but in the best possible way. Stretching and yawning, her eyes blinked a few times to get adjusted to the daylight pouring out of the open window, wondering what time it was.

The daylight!

Jolting upward (barely giving Peppermint time to throw his hands over his eyes, his white stripes turning red from embarrassment) Bubblegum ran to the window, closing it firmly. But then she realized there was no point- Marceline was nowhere to be seen. Though the princess was almost positive she had felt that cool body lie next to hers in the night, it would seem that by now the vampire queen had flown the coop. Her eyes burned for just a moment before she wiped away any tears that might have been forming. Of course she left. Vampires didn't exactly stick around for breakfast.

Speaking of breakfast…

"What time is it?" she asked her servant, going into her closet and searching for something, anything, decent to wear.

"Ah- um- you slept past your six o'clock alarm, and your nine o'clock as well, and-"

"Peppermint." Her head poked out the doorway of her walk in closet, bloodshot eyes so disturbing that the butler clammed up at once. On top of that, she was quite a sight with bed hair. "I asked. The time."

"Past n-noon, ma'am. We didn't want to disturb you- and then we thought you might be sick-"

Bubblegum groaned. She'd slept in. Her schedule was completely ruined. Marceline was gone- as was evident by the fact that no one had started screaming in pain when Peppermint opened up the windows. This was not a good way to wake up. But this was not the time to melt. Shaking her head a few times to clear it, she ordered a meal be sent to her while she prepared herself and doubled checked her daily planner to see what could be salvaged from the day. Then she had about five or six hours until sunset- _not _that she was eager to see what would happen when it was dark, she told herself firmly. Or who would show up. Or if maybe they could plan a real date- _not that she wanted to get back together with that scruffy rocker_, absolutely not. Unless they talked about things. Actually talked, not… get distracted by the nearest flat surface.

She glanced in the mirror as she thought all this, and then groaned again when she realized she'd have to wear something with a high collar today. Marceline left one hell of a hickey, that was for sure. At least it wasn't still white like the one on her thigh. She touched it gently, face growing hot as she lost herself for a moment in her memory of last night. But with a deep sigh, she shook herself again, snapped out of it, and went about her duties as Princess.

**OoOoOo **

She hadn't exactly expected it to be a productive day after having slept through half of it. When Finn and Jake came bursting through the library doors with their limbs flailing and spouting excited babbles about something that required her immediate attention, she became _certain _no work would get done until tomorrow. Putting aside a book she had been flipping through to refresh her memory on the Duke's establishment over the nuts of the kingdom, she forced herself to smile at her young champion.

"Slow down, Finn," she said. "What seems to be the problem?"

"No problem at all, Princess," Finn assured her with his infectious grin. "But Jake and I found this book-"

"And Finn didn't wanna read it but I was like, 'Yo man, knowledge is like, power,'-"

Finn interrupted his friend, butting heads with the dog. "Nuh-uh bro! You were the one who wanted to put it under the table leg so it would stop wobbling!"

Bubblegum waved her hands to get their attention. "Could you please get to the point of this story, Finn?"

"Oh!" Finn smacked his forehead. "Right. Well guess what? It was a how-to book! How to build awesome things! And then we went and tried to get lumber to build a catapult-"

Jake stepped in, too excited to let Finn finish the story on his own. "But on the way to get the rope, we were ambushed by wood-eating pixies-"

Bubblegum couldn't even be irritated by the fact that her friends were incapable of truncating a story when there was an adventure involved. Smiling- for real this time- she settled down on the floor of her library with Finn and Jake, readying herself for another gripping tale of their escapades in Ooo. There were times when she envied their carefree lifestyle, but today wasn't such a day. After leaving her bedroom this morning, Bubblegum swore to not let anything else bum her out for the rest of the day. If she wouldn't let Marceline's absence be the cause for having a case of the blues, then nothing else would bring her down either. So she listened to the story with interest, laughing at the appropriate parts and asking questions when the facts seemed to get muddled.

"…So in the end we just built a pool table," Jake finished, reaching into Finn's backpack for a solid black 8 ball and tossing it to the princess. Bubblegum fumbled a bit before catching it with a delighted laugh.

"I am not sure I've ever heard of this… 'pool' game before," she said to them, noting that Jake must have made the 8 ball himself as well, because if it was supposed to be a perfect spherical shape he had failed quite miserably. It was lumpy and wouldn't roll straight. At once, she started contemplating how it could be fixed. Before she could fully formulate a solution, though, the sound of her friends butted into her thoughts.

"Whaaaaaaa?" the two of them chorused, clutching their face in twin pantomimes of disbelief.

She just shrugged. "Princesses don't play pool, I guess."

Finn did an excited dance, hopping from foot to foot. "Then this is the perfect thing! Today we're going to teach you how to play pool, PB!"

And then before she could protest or think up an excuse Jake had swept her up over his shoulder and onto his back and the three of them bounded off to their tree house.

**OoOoOo**

As things turned out, once Bubblegum understood that the very basics of the game could be broken down geometrically, she dominated the rest of the matches. Even when Finn and Jake worked together (and even when Jake tried to cheat), they were simply no match for her successful mathematical applications. It was only the fact that the table and pool balls had several key construction errors that kept her from winning even sooner. All in all, it was the one of them most fun games she'd ever played, and one of the few that she seemed naturally better at than Finn. She _needed _to get her hands on the blueprints so she could have her royal carpenters churn out one of these for her bedroom.

After it became clear that they would only win when Bubblegum felt like losing, the two young men sat on the couch and pouted for a while before grudgingly admitting "You are." when Bubblegum questioned them on "who their daddy was," or more accurately, ""Wer ist dein Papa?"

Flushed with victory as she was, she almost didn't catch it when Jake said:

"Huh, the sun's going down. I wonder if Marceline's free tonight too." He pounded one fist into his other hand. "Hey! Maybe we could have some sort of grand pool battle party type thing."

Glancing out the window, she saw that he was right about the time and started wringing her hands. The ground was suddenly very interesting, because she couldn't tear her eyes away from it.

Finn leapt off the couch, his vigor restored. "Yeah! That sounds like a great idea Jake!" He leaned against his furry buddy, thinking hard. "But who would be interested in that?"

"Dude, anyone would be interested if we offered them a prize for winning first place!"

"Ohhh. _Duuude_." Fist pound.

Jake shot Bubblegum another wounded look. "Maybe then someone could stand against this monster we have created."

"It's not attractive to be a sore loser, Jake," she reminded him.

"I'm not sore. _You're _a freak of nature."

"Excuse you?"

"There's no way someone can just instantly be that good at something!"

"Who said it was instant?" Bubblegum smiled, wondering if she should try to keep the mystery alive or brag about how she figured out the way to win. Bragging won. "It's basic geometry, Jake. You just picture the angles using the little dots on the side to help guide you." She walked over to the table, tapping the marks in question. "Then you pretend the ball is a marker or something similar, and the table top is graphing paper." Taking one of the lopsided pool sticks, she squinted at the cue ball, sticking her tongue out in concentration. "Then you apply a little physics to account for the force and angle of your shot and how the speed of the cue ball will transfer over to the ball you're trying to hit."

Finn was impressed. "So that's the magic trick." Grinning again and pointing his fingers at her like pistols, he gave out a war cry before issuing his challenge. "All right! You go gather some people, PB! Jake and I are gonna practice using your secret fancy pants mathematics against you for our next battle!"

The sun dipped over the horizon, and Bubblegum got the feeling she wouldn't get any work done tonight, either.

Jake let her use their phone to give Lady Rainicorn a call to see if she could quickly take PB to the castle and back again. The princess was currently dressed for a day of governing, not relaxation, and if she was going to have another unproductive evening she would do it in comfort. She also kind of- maybe- sort of- possibly wanted to see if Marceline would show up at her place when it got dark again.

It didn't take very long for the Lady to arrive. Bubblegum greeted her with a tight hug and a kiss on the top of her nose and received a playful nudge in return. Another short game of pool was played; Bubblegum managed to distract herself again by teaching Finn her methods while Rainicorn visited with Jake. After a quick kiss on the top of his head, she floated over to Bubblegum and they returned to the castle, promising to come back once it got properly dark for the pool party.

Properly dark.

**Properly dark.**

_don't think about it don't think about it don't think a bite it- **gosh crumble.**_

Static filled her thoughts as she hopped off of Rainicorn and went into her room through the balcony door. It was hard to think of anything except Marceline, and she hated feeling that way. She was no foolish lovestruck teenager. Someone of her standing shouldn't be this preoccupied with... with relationships. Searching through her closet while grumbling about emotions and stupid sexy vampires, she narrowed down her choices to two outfits. It wasn't that she was a particularly indecisive person- she just enjoyed getting pretty. Both choices were casual and cute, but not in a way that said she was trying _too _hard to be cute. Because she wasn't going to try hard to be cute. In fact, she was going to _not _try so hard, she decided on the pale pink skirt just because she knew Marceline liked the way she looked in jeans.

Quickly shedding her poofy gown and wriggling into the new outfit, she wondered if she should bring anything to the party with her. Hopping around on one foot as she tried to wram her foot into her sneakers, she heard it:

"Ye-uhhhhhahhhhhhh..."

A yawn.

She froze, listening carefully. This was it. She'd gone mad and she was hallucinating Marceline's voice. She had absolutely gone bonkers and it was all that dumb vampire's fault she was hearing someone rustle around on her bed when her eyes clearly told her no one was there.

Making her way over into the room, she noticed the covers were still unwrinkled and the bed was made. After a moment of intense mental debate, she ventured: "Um.. Marceline?'

"Yeah?" a sleepy voice answered, somewhat stuttered due to another yawn.

Bubblegum could only stare. "Where are you?"

"Right here where I said I'd be, doof."

Understanding came in a flash and Bubblegum got down on her hands and knees, peering underneath the bed to see a small fuzzy shape curled up underneath. "Your windows are terrible at blocking out the sun," Marceline said, a tiny sigh heaving from her little lungs. "It's barely seven. Do I need to wake up already?"

She squeaked in surprise as Bubblegum reached under the bed and tugged her over by her wormy tail, hugging the small body against her chest. "You've been there the whole time?" she asked, noticing that this was a new shape. Four gleaming red eyes blinked sleepily at her and claws grasped at the ruffles on her shirt in a rough approximation of a hug. Stroking Marceline's coarse black fur once, she set the rat down and let it scamper back under her bed.

It grunted. Two eyelids were already closed, and the other two were drooping. "So... early..."

So Marceline hadn't ditched her after all. She'd slept through the burning daylight hours right here. "Umm..." She peered under the bed, wondering if Marceline had fallen back asleep again. "Meet me at Finn and Jake's when you wake up," the princess blurted, heading towards the balcony where Rainicorn had been patiently waiting.

**OoOoOo**

"So!" she said, clasping her hands together as she surveyed the small gathering in Finn's living room. "Is this everyone?"

"Yep," Jake said. "Starchy and Peppermint were busy and we couldn't find Marceline and we know you're a little iffy with the Nuts family, so we could only invite LSP."

Their friend floated into the room with a bag of chips in one hand, visibly incense. "Only LSP?" she demanded, eyes narrowing as she pointed at Jake and Finn. "Ya'll better be like, lumping grateful I came at all. Now where's the soda?"

Finn pointed at their mini fridge; LSP hollered and tossed the bag of chips at Bubblegum, headed for the drinks. "Well at least I got a little practice in," Finn said. "And with Lady here, maybe you and I could play doubles with Jake?" he asked, a nervous smile making him seem even younger than he was.

Rainicorn nudged him gently with her head, saying something softly that only Finn could hear and looking bashful. "What?" Finn asked in shock. "What do you mean you're not gonna play?"

She just blushed, shaking her head and whispering again. "Aw come on, Lady, Jake and I won't-"

This time she prodded him with her horn, frowning. Whatever her reasons were for not playing, she was sticking by them.

"It's all right baby," Jake said, walking over to her and giving her a quick hug. "Just hanging out with you is fun enough for me." He was rewarded with a small lick on the cheek. Lower, he added: "Just promise to freakin' help me sabotage PB's game, that girl is a monster at billiards."

Finn nudged him, hard, but before he could say anything two grey arms wrapped around Jake's torso and lifted him up into the air. "Hah! Who needs cheating when she'll have my insane skills to contend with?" Marceline demanded, grinning at Jake and giving him a friendly nibble just to hear him shriek.

_"Put me down put me down put me down put me down-_"

Her hands shot up, palms forward; she dropped him back onto the wooden floor where he collapsed in a shivering heap. With a smile she probably considered innocent, she shot a wink in Bubblegum's direction before saying, "Hey guys. What's up?"

Finn waved up at the vampire. "Marceline! How'd you get in here?"

Floating on her back, she wound her way through the people standing until she reached Finn, eyes closed and her hands behind her head. "Oh, you know."

Shaking himself roughly seemed to snap Jake out of his fearful panic. "Marceline, that is so not cool."

As a proper mature adult, Marceline saw no acceptable response other than to blow a raspberry at him. So she did so. "All right, now, we're holding a pool tournament?" she asked Finn, ignoring when Jake quite reasonably responded to her raspberry with a nasty face and wiggling lip noises.

"Well…" Finn eyed Bubblegum suspiciously. "We don't have enough people for it to be a proper tournament. Mainly we just want to give our new pool table a test drive and have a bunch of people over."

"And see if anyone can take my title as reigning champion," Bubblegum added, more than a little smug.

That caught Marceline's attention. She righted herself, floating closer to her friend-that-was-not-a-girlfriend. "What, you won a few rounds and think you're hot stuff, Princess?"

"On the contrary, O nightly queen. I _know _I am 'hot stuff'." Making finger quotations around her borrowed words, she couldn't stop herself from gloating even more.

Their eyes met and the tension mounted tenfold, electricity seeming to crackle and snap through their shared gaze. A loud, petulant sound broke it, making them realize how long they had been glaring at each other. "What, have ya'll like, forgotten about me or something?" Lumpy Space demanded, her arms full of raided goods from Jake and Finn's pantry. "I may not be some sort of bad-A vampire or weird pool savant like you two but I like, refuse to be shafted."

Marceline was fiddling with the 5 ball, tossing it from hand to hand; Bubblegum found her fingernails quite fascinating.

"STOP LUMPING IGNORING ME!" LSP shouted, tossing a bag of Cheesy Cornz at Marceline's head, making her dart to the side to avoid it. LSP studiously ignored it when Marceline hissed at her.

After rummaging through his backpack a bit, Finn found a notebook and some paper. "All right girls, all right, stop fighting. Let's figure out who goes first." Everyone nodded and he started scribbling down names onto pieces of paper. Dumping them all into his hat, he handed it to Lady Rainicorn to pick the names at random to see who would do battle in the first round.

Closing her eyes, she grabbed two names and held them aloft. Stretching his legs out to read over her shoulder, Jake announced: "And the first round isssssssssssssssssssss…. LSP and Finn!"

"All right!" Finn and LSP shouted at the same time, giving each other a high five. "We're number one, we're number one, we're number one~"

Marceline set up the balls, commenting on their shoddy quality while Jake's fur bristled in defense. Rainicorn patted him on the head, assuring him that she thought his balls were lovely and well-formed.

Biting her lip to keep from laughing, Marceline floated over to Finn, trailing one hand up the princess' arm as she passed the pink girl on her way to him, ending it with a quick tweak on the ear. "So who'll do the break?" she wanted to know, wondering just how red she could make Bubblegum's cheeks get before the night was over.

"I guess I will?" Finn said, looking at LSP for confirmation. She shrugged, dumping another few Cheesy Cornz into her mouth. "Oh! And Jake and I decided on a prize for whoever wins first place." Pausing for effect, he glanced at everyone in the room, waiting for them to lean forward in curiosity before finishing. "Runner-up has to be the winner's slave for a day."

That was when Marceline lost it. Laughing so hard she actually fell onto the floor, she pounded a fist against the wood while Bubblegum started turning even redder, realizing exactly what was going through her friend's mind. Finn and Jake, however, were clueless. They glanced at each other before shrugging and looking back at Marceline, who seemed to be winding down. "Uh…hahaha?" Finn ventured.

"Oh, don't worry Finn," Marceline said, wiping a tear from her eye. She patted him on the shoulder. "I just realized I'm going to win and nothing's going to stop me."

Bubblegum stomped her foot. "I hardly think this is appropriate, Jake! And I know it was your idea!"

"What? Afraid it's gonna be you and me in the final round?"

"Uh, duh, yes."

"Don't worry, Princess." She smiled a smile that bared all of her glistening sharp teeth. "I'll be gentle."

Bubblegum snorted, head pounding with anger. "We'll see about that."

"You'll be singin' a different tune when I win, I assure you."

"Oh yeah?" she stepped up to Marceline, prodding her sharply with one finger to accentuate every word. "Well it. Is. _On_."

There was a sound of another bag hitting the wall. LSP grabbed a pool stick and started rapping it against the table to get everyone's attention. "OH MY GLOB WILL YOU LUMPING BREAK ALREADY?" she shouted, dropping the stick pulling hard at her fluffy head since she didn't have any hair to dramatically tug at to show her frustration. "Finn, friggen' smack those balls already so I can beat you guys and go home!"

"Yes ma'am, Princess ma'am." Finn saluted before aiming his stick and squarely hitting the cue ball. Some of Bubblegum's lessons must have really stuck because it was a solid hit, scattering all of the balls and even landing a striped one into the corner left pocket. "Kay. I'm stripes, you're solids."

"Cheese. Lumping finally."

It soon became clear that it was a blessing rather than a burden that so few people had shown up; Finn and Jake underestimated how long it took for novices to finish just one game. After a few mistake and double checking the rules that Bubblegum managed to dig out of their dusty piles of books, Finn was eventually declared the winner.

One short victory dance and many apologies to a very disgruntled princess later, Rainicorn was rummaging through Finn's hat for the next two contenders. The only ones who noticed Marceline and Bubblegum glaring daggers at each other were probably Marceline and Bubblegum themselves. "And then next round is Marceline the Vampire Queen versusssss…."

Finn mimicked a drum roll.

Bubblegum tensed.

"Me!" Jake finished, lifting his hands into the air. His tail wagged furiously as he hopped over to the table and set up the balls. The princess let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, grabbing a root beer from LSP ("Hey!") and chugging it down. If Jake won this round, their showdown might not even happen at all. She wasn't sure whether or not she wanted it to end that way.

"Be careful sweet cheeks," Jake said, crackling his knuckles as Marceline readied the opening break shot. Rainicorn kneaded his shoulders like a coach egging on a boxer, cooing soft words of encouragement into his ear. "I am licensed to _thrill _at this game."

One dark eyebrow quirked up. "That doesn't even make any sense," she said before turning her attention back to the table. One short jerk- Clack clack clack clack- and two striped balls rolled into both top corner pockets.

Jake's jaw dropped. Marceline winked at him, making a pistol with one hand and blowing away imaginary smoke. "Guess I'm stripes… sweet cheeks." Quick as a snake, she bent down to his level and snapped her teeth dangerously close to his face, trying to psyche him out.

He jumped, frantically slapping her away from him with tiny hand flutters. "How did you- that wasn't even- that was just luck," he said when he had pushed her out of his personal bubble.

"Not luck, baby. Skills. Mad skills." Licking her lips, she aimed for another ball, since it was still her turn. She called right side pocket and missed. Hissing with frustration, she tossed her pool stick to Jake. The dog caught it with one hand, aiming, shooting, and missing as well.

"Aw crumb cake!"

"Where did you learn how to play this game, Marceline?" Bubblegum asked, watching with interest as Marceline called another shot and made it this time.

"Oh. You know." She waved one hand in the air, mouth twisting uncertainly. "Here and there. It's popular in the bars I'd frequent back when I was in a gang."

"Wow." LSP slurped at another soda. "Your friend is like, really hardcore, Peebs."

"It ain't no big thing," Marceline said as she scored another shot. "I'm a little rusty, but it's coming back to me." Looking over her shoulder once at Bubblegum before walking around the table to position the next shot better, she asked, "What about you, Peebs? Where'd you learn this commoner's game?"

"I thought that was my nickname for her," Finn muttered from where he was sitting with Rainicorn, pouting into his soda. "Everyone is stealing it." Lady Rainicorn patted his head consolingly.

"Oh, well," Bubblegum scuffed her shoes on the floor. "Finn built this table today, so…"

Marceline lost her concentration, missing the shot. Jake pumped his fist into the air, glad he was able to get another turn. "Darn it." Letting Jake have his moment, she lifted up into the air and floated over to Bubblegum and LSP. Since the rules stated one foot must be kept on the ground at all times, Marceline had been forced to keep herself planted while playing. Surprising her, Marceline didn't settle for floating next to her but actually sat down on the same stool as the princess, scooting her over on the cramped space.

Bubblegum almost spilled her soda when the vampire rested one hand on the small of her back, stroking it gently with her thumb. "So am I to understand that you only just started playing this game today?" Marceline asked her in the same conversational tone, as if she weren't making love to Bubblegum's back with her fingertips.

"Uh. Yes."

Marceline leaned into her, cold breath sending prickles up her sides. The pressure moved from Bubblegum's back to her shoulder, pulling the princess close for a conspiratorial whisper. "And you still think you can beat me?"

"No, Marceline." Turning in her seat to face her because if she kept feeling that breath on her neck she was going to scream, Bubblegum flatly responded. "I am just going to own you so hard, you'll feel the sting for the next thousand years."

LSP let out a low mooing sound. "Dannnng. Ice burn."

Marceline just smiled before biting her pale lower lip, bringing just the smallest amount of color to it. The desired effect was had, and Bubblegum found herself staring at those lips for just a moment longer than was comfortable. But soon Jake was swearing again and Marceline darted back to the table, giving Bubblegum's thigh a quick squeeze as she left.

Bubblegum crushed the empty can in her hand, consumed with frustrations she couldn't voice.

All too soon, the match was over. Marceline had won, and Jake just angrily stomped around the tree house, swearing revenge for his fallen dignity. "I keep losing to girls!" he fumed.

Rainicorn just gave him one look, pursing her lips.

Jake paused. "Not that… It's not that girls can't… I mean I'm not sexist."

She snorted, zipping over to Finn's side to see that only PB's name was left in the hat. "So I guess I go against the winner from the first round, right?" the princess asked, getting off the chair and smoothing her skirt. "Come on Finn. Let's see if the student can become the master."

"After you, milady," Finn said, giving her the pool stick and gesturing to the table, where Jake was setting the balls again.

"Good luck sweetling," Marceline muttered to her as she passed. Bubblegum walked quickly to avoid giving the vampire another chance to discreetly touch her. It didn't exactly work. The vampire just followed her as she aimed for the breaking shot, hovering just close enough behind her to feel her presence.

"Oh dear. I hope I'm not making you nervous, watching over your shoulder like this," she said loud enough for everyone to hear, giving them the impression she was trying to psyche out Bubblegum much the same way she'd tried to do with Jake.

"You're a dirty cheat," Bubblegum said darkly, putting all of her concentration into what was in front of her.

The crack of the cue ball resounded in the room, and everyone waited to see who the winner of the third match would turn out to be.


	3. Perfect First Pancakes, Part II

A/n: I swear the pancakes part of this title is relevant. But you won't understand until... the next chapter!

**OoOoOo **

Tonight, she decided, would be a test in how far she could push things before anyone got suspicious. Marceline had no doubt that if she was a man everyone would have picked up on her subtle teasing by now, but as things stood they didn't see anything too wrong with two girls sitting close together, or getting into each other's personal space. In fact, as things stood, the only people in the room who even knew that the vampire queen wasn't 100% heterosexual were keeping mum. She chuckled, giving Bubblegum a hug from behind after the princess was finished with the opening break. No balls had landed in any of the pockets so it was Finn's turn again. "Don't feel bad if you can't one-up that amazing two-ball stunt I pulled," she said, smoothing a stray stand of the princess' hair over one ear.

Bubblegum just grunted, but didn't push her away. Finn landed in a solid color and Marceline could feel the tension mounting in Bubblegum's shoulders. "Relax, Princess," she said. "You're taking this way too seriously."

"Well if taking it too seriously is how I'm going to win, then I'll take it as seriously as I like," she said in response.

Letting go of Bubblegum, Marceline floated casually around her. "You take every game this seriously?" she asked, yellow eyes flicking to meet hers. "You must be pretty boring on dates, then."

"If I am, I'm sure it's none of your business," she answered without hesitation. Finn had missed; it was her turn again, and she knocked three high balls into the pockets before she found herself at an almost impossible angle; she tried her best but still missed, and the cue ball went rolling into the pocket instead. Stomping her foot, she let out the foulest swear word she knew.

One dark eyebrow shot up. "I didn't know you had it in you, Princess."

Still angry, she just swore again. Jake applauded her efforts and gave the swear an 8 out of 10 rating. LSP was of the opinion that it was a 7.5 at best, spurring on a deep philosophical argument on the shock value and force of swear words. Also up for debate was the eternal question of whether or not a swear word stopped being offensive the more one used it. It was a well documented fact that there was an inverse relationship to the number of times a swear word was used and the effect it had on those listening.

Everyone besides LSP and Jake quite gladly tuned out the whole conversation.

Grabbing a red can of soda, Marceline punctured the top corner of it and drained it grey, watching Finn shoot and miss as well. "Wow, you're both miserable at this. I'm already planning out what you'll be doing as my slaves."

Paying attention to the game again, LSP shouted encouragement to Bubblegum. "Go! Fight! Win! Avenge my loss against that lumping kid!"

Floating close to Bubblegum again, the vampire whispered, "If I were you, I'd throw the game now instead of risking a battle against me."

Chalking down the end of her pool stick and using the excess to rub into her sweating hands, the princess seemed cool and unphased. "Oh really."

"You might not like what I have in store as your future master."

Bubblegum shoved her aside, focusing on the game at hand. Measuring the table with her pool stick, she aimed and hit. Her ball went rolling into the pocket she called, and she set up the next shot. With ruthless, machine-liked precision, she knocked down every single one. Striped ball after striped ball went rolling down in beautiful lines, entering each pocket she called without fail. Soon there was nothing left except the fifteen ball and the black eight ball. "Oh my gosh," Marceline said, watching Bubblegum play with mounting horror.

"I know," Jake said glumly.

"She's a beast."

"I _know_," he said again, burying his face in Rainicorn's shoulder.

Finally snapping, Finn turned around and shouted at them: "Will both of you stop? You're freaking me out here, dudes!"

"You're freaking out? I'm the one who has to play her next if you lose!"

"AHHH DON'T SAY I'LL LOSE, LA LA LA NOT LISTENING-"

This next shot was proving to be a problem- one of Finn's balls was in the path of the shot Bubblegum wanted to make, and for the life of her she couldn't puzzle out any other angle that wouldn't hit one of the low balls. The rowdy arguing behind her just grew more heated, until finally she snapped. "Will _all _of you stop?" she asked, stopping what she was doing to stand up straight and glare at them.

"NO!" they all chorused back. Growling in frustration, she just turned around and shot without pausing to aim again. Smacking the cue ball at it's base, she caused it to jump right over Finn's ball and collide with the fifteen, sending it on its way. All eyes were trained on the fifteen, watching it bounce against the bumpers and-

_Clack-clack_.

She had aimed correctly. Just the eight ball was left.

"Nooooooooo!" Finn shouted, falling on his knees and grasping at the sky. "There's no way she'll miss that!"

Having just a shred of pity left in her, Bubblegum said, "Sorry, Finn," before landing the last shot and winning the game.

_Hah_, she mouthed to Marceline; the vampire bared her fangs in response.

Hopping up from her seat, LSP went over to Jake and dragged him to the pool table. "Well I guess we like, battle for fourth place now. Then ya'll can have your little showdown," she added with a disdainful flick of her fluff in Marceline's direction. Dumping Jake in front of the table, she ordered him to set up the balls.

Every hair on her head was bristling from excitement as Marceline flew slow circles around Bubblegum. "You ready to lose, nerd?"

"Of course not!" she said, waving one hand to try and shoo her off when she got too close. "I don't know if you ever noticed this, Marcy, but I always win."

The usage of her pet name made shivers rolls up Marceline's back, as it always did. "And is that how you treat your relationships, I wonder? As another opportunity to win?"

By now, even if Finn was still being oblivious, Jake and Rainicorn were definitely giving Marceline weird eyes. Subtlety was not the vampire queen's strong suit. Her cheeks turning red at the attention, Bubblegum shot back, "Oh, and you don't?"

"_No_. I _don't_." Marceline stopped her circling to hover just in front of Bubblegum, fists clenched.

Even if he couldn't grasp what they were fighting about, the fact remained that the two high-strung monarchs were starting to spoil the party with their personal issues. Finn quickly stepped in to play moderator, sliding between the two and forcing them a few paces apart. "Guys, guys," he said. "If we're not going to play nice then you both lose by default and I win. Got it?"

They both turned cold, furious gazes on him.

Bubblegum broke first. "...Fine!" she said, headed towards the stairs. "But first, would _her highness_ care to accompany me outside on the observation deck?"

Crinkling her nose, Marceline made a huffing noise. "What for?"

"To arrange the loser's penalty. In private," she added, stressing the last word with an extra keen eye on Jake. He was the most gossipy one, even rivaling LSP, and the most likely to eavesdrop. Grumbling something about snotty princesses, Marceline followed Bubblegum up the stairs and out onto Finn and Jake's rickety little boat that they used as a lookout station. She stood at the bow, her back turned to Marceline. The tense set of her shoulders and her crossed arms didn't bode well.

Firmly closing the door behind her, Marceline cautiously looked over at PB, who was still standing rigid as a steel beam. Hovering just out of reach, the vampire cleared her throat. "So ah, you wanted to-"

Marceline didn't get to finish what she was going to say, because Bubblegum had reached up and dragged her down to eye level, kissing her as though she wanted to consume her whole. Surprised, but not displeased, Marceline melted against the princess, wrapping her legs tightly around her waist and returning what she received tenfold. Pausing long enough to let the living girl breathe, Marceline couldn't keep a low rumble from starting in her chest as she felt small, soft hands grasping her firmly by the bottom.

"You- are- driving- me- _crazy_," Bubblegum said, her lips too busy to manage much else.

Holding her at arm's length, Marceline scowled down at her. "Me? You're the one acting like a prig!"

Her hands had moved up to Marceline's waist, fingers wriggling under the hemline of her shirt to stroke at cool bare skin. "Well you're the one getting me all riled up!"

"It's called teasing, and you could stand to have it done to you a little more often." Reaching behind her not-girlfriend's head, she found the clasp that was holding her hair back from falling into her face and tugged it free. "Now, tell me what you're going to do for me after I completely annihilate you," she said, tilting her head down to deeply inhale Bubblegum's scent.

A small gasp escaped her lips as Marceline's mouth found her ear lobe. "Nothing," she said. "Because you are the one who... definitely you..." Nails sharp as claws ran through her hair. Arms wound around the vampire underneath her shirt, holding her closer as she toyed with the idea of undoing her bra strap since she was already in that area. Then she remembered where they were and decided against it. Whatever she was about to say got drowned out when Marceline bent down to kiss her again, her sighs sounding more like a pit viper hissing than anything a living person would make.

Nothing ever really prepared her for the delightful, unusual, _wonderful _things that girl could do with her tongue, but they were starting to take a lot of risks. If LSP and Jake hadn't started their match yet, everyone downstairs wouldn't be distracted by the game and would become aware of their long absence. Letting go of Marceline, she placed her hands on the vampire's chest, gently pushing her away. Marceline got the hint, but didn't remove her legs from around the princess' waist. Floating in place, a mischievous expression appeared on her face. Pulling down the collar of Bubblegum's shirt, she saw the mark she had left last night and touched it lightly with the tips of her nails.

They didn't say anything; Bubblegum was trying to catch her breath.

"...You ok now?" Marceline asked, tracing the outline of her bite mark, pulling the collar down further for better access. "Got that urge to make out purged from your system?"

Puffing out a breath of air, she closed her eyes and nodded a few times, leaning her head against the other hand that caressed her hair.

"Good," Marceline said before bending down and biting her hard on the exact same spot. Stiffening with shock, Bubblegum felt her knees give way under the unexpected blast of pleasure swamping her system. Marceline quickly unwrapped herself from the princess and grounded her feet, managing to hold her upright as she swooned. Unlocking her jaw before she could take too much, Marceline spoke into her ear.

"You still have time to throw the game, you know," she breathed. The sound seemed to come from miles away.

Shaking her head to clear it, Bubblegum found that she was still clinging to the vampire for dear life, her knees wobbling like jelly. When she didn't say anything else, Marceline let out a soft hiss and bent to bite again, but Bubblegum stopped her this time. Clapping one hand over the vampire's mouth, she shook her head. "N-not there," she said, eyes heavy-lidded. "Too sore."

Tilting her head to the side in thought, Marceline let her eyes wander over Bubblegum's body, thinking of a good spot. Coming to a decision, she hefted her princess up into her arms and dropped to the floor, sitting down with a hard _thmp_. When Bubblegum's arms instinctively wound around her shoulders to keep steady, she just caught one of her hands and bit gently into her wrist.

A low groan escaped her; her expression mingled between confusion and bliss. "We must be crazy," Bubblegum said, feeling Marceline's hand slide up her thigh. There were some benefits to skirts, after all. Strong fingers stroked her firmly through the fabric of her underwear and she _knew _they were crazy. Before she realized it she was laughing, loud enough to cause Marceline to stop and furrow her eyebrows in confusion.

"You think you can manipulate me into throwing the game by doing this," she said rather than asked, a dangerous-looking smirk crossing her face.

A forked tongue whipped out, brushing up against Bubblegum's lips. "Hmm," she said with a playful grin. "Maybe, maybe." Pushing the underwear aside, she inserted two long fingers into that hot, wet center and started thrusting, in and out, slow and steady. "Maybe I just like the risk of getting caught."

Shifting higher onto Marceline's lap, she moved in time with the vampire's hand, trying hard to keep herself under some measure of control. "Ah...they're gonna... Notice we're gone," she said in between little whimpers. "Or they'll hear us-"

Kissing her to silence her, Marceline picked up the pace. "Then we'd better be quiet," she said in a low rumble, just within the range of hearing.

"_Marceline_-" Bubblegum gasped, clutching at her lover's shoulders only to find her mouth enveloped by soft, cool lips again. They pulled free long enough for the vampire to quietly shush her, one finger against her lips before she grabbed the back of her head and pulled her into the kiss once more. A long, flexible tongue wrapped around hers, sucking and biting and licking until-

Bubblegum started trembling; her mouth opened to let out her cry of release, but Marceline quickly put a hand over her lips. "Shh!" she said in an urgent hiss, forcing her to be quiet. Their eyes met in that moment, Bubblegum twisting and squirming in her arms until it finally passed. Relaxing bit by bit, gasping every now and then from the aftershocks, she could only watch in tired fascination as Marceline brought her drenched fingers up to her mouth and licked them clean.

"I will never ever get tired of this," she announced. "You taste- just- _guh_." She closed her eyes and shivered.

"Mm," was all Bubblegum could say, resting against the vampire. Then she gasped with shock, leaping up to her feet and quickly setting her hair and clothes straight. Her sleeves had been rolled up during the game, but she quickly undid that in order to hide her newest bite mark. "We- we need to go back downstairs!" she said, as if she had just realized it. "Oh, cabbages- they're going to think- they're going to know- cabbages cabbages _cabbages_-"

Floating again, Marceline grasped Bubblegum by the face, trying to get her to focus. "Hey, hey!" she said. "Calm down. I've been listening to them with one ear, they're all placing bets on the round between LSP and Jake. I bet they think we're just having another hissy fit at each other up here."

The princess just stared at her, all the pieces clicking together. "Oh." Holding their gaze for a while longer, she slowly started fixing her hair again. "Oh," she said once more. "Okay. Okay. This is fine. We're fine. Right?"

Marceline nodded. "Right."

Relaxing at last, she slumped back against the railing of the boat. "Right," she sighed. "Goodness, we just can't be alone together, can we?"

With a swipe of her tongue, she licked her lips. "And I've got you down two for two, princess," she said, holding two fingers up to demonstrate her point.

The candy girl just started blushing, stuttering and stammering out a disjointed excuse. "Last night doesn't- I was exhausted and- and well maybe if _you _wore a skirt I- how was I supposed to manage anything with those skinny jeans you're wearing?"

Marceline laughed. "Don't worry. You can make it up to me later… slave."

"_This _again?" she demanded. "The stupid- _game_? Rrrgh! You are just- ARRRGH!" Stomping her foot once, Bubblegum brushed past the vampire and marched back downstairs, sitting down next to Finn to watch the rest of the game. It was good thing LSP and Jake both sucked at billiards, because they were taking forever to finish their match. In the end, though, Jake sucked a little bit less and managed to sink all his balls as well as the eight ball and then it was the final round.

For a moment, she wondered if Marceline was still hovering around that little boat deck or if she had taken off, but soon enough the vampire came floating downstairs with an unreadable expression. Grabbing the pool stick from LSP, she watched Jake set up the next game in complete silence. Rainicorn was chattering with Beemo, who had emerged from the treasure room where he had been trying in vain to settle down in sleep-mode through the noise of the party.

"Sooo…" Finn said to Bubblegum, who didn't realize how tense she was until he placed a friendly hand on her shoulder. "Did you and Marceline, uh… settle things?"

After a few horrified seconds of thinking he meant _that_, she realized he meant the loser's penalty. "Oh. I… I guess," she mumbled, twisting her pool stick in her hands.

"I'll break," Marceline announced over the noise of the rest of the guests, who were only paying minimal attention because hey, they had all already lost. "Let's just see if the Princess' cold calculations can measure up to my years of experience in being a badass."

The banter was familiar and routine in a way that somehow wasn't uncomfortable anymore, but she did notice that Marceline's heart didn't seem to be in it. "We'll see," she said, watching Marceline do her two-balls-at-once trick again.

"It _wasn't _luck!" Jake gasped, fuzzy paws clutching at Rainicorn's pelt.

Marceline chuckled. "I told you it wasn't." Floating over to the other side of the table, she still made sure one foot was on the ground when she made her next shot. "I'm solids," she said, and called the middle pocket to her left.

She made two more shots before she missed, and it was Bubblegum's turn. "Don't even think about trying to distract me," she muttered as she passed Marceline.

"I wouldn't dream of it," she said. Then, glancing around to make sure no one was looking, she pinched her bottom and flitted away to the other side of the table where she could hide from any immediate retribution.

Puffing out her cheeks, Bubblegum otherwise kept her emotions in check. Knowing Marceline was trying to ruin her game made it easier. Still, without the calm and collected head she needed to ruthlessly destroy Marceline, she missed after three shots. Now she needed Marceline to mess up again before she had another chance to put this game in the bag. Still, she didn't condone cheating in others and wasn't about to do it herself, so she just watched with crossed arms as Marceline floated around the table a few times, looking for a good angle to shoot from.

There weren't any. Trusting blind luck, she set one foot on the floor and hit the cue ball as hard as she could. It bounced from wall to wall, narrowly avoiding Bubblegum's balls until it clacked hard against a solid.

Defying all logic, it rolled right where she wanted it to.

Screaming in joy, she lifted herself up into the air and started waving her pool stick around madly. "Did you see that?" she demanded. "Did anyone see that? Oh, man!"

Stretching himself over to the table, Jake growled. "Now I don't even know what to believe."

"Maybe Marceline is just incredibly lucky," Finn mused.

"My turn again, my turn again~" she sang, doing a few flips in the air before starting up the game again. This time, her luck ran out. She scratched.

"Gumballs," she hissed, tossing her pool stick down.

This time, there would be no mistakes. Bubblegum carefully measured and calculated each shot. As she successfully landed ball after ball, Marceline became visibly more agitated. Tendrils of hair seemed to come alive, buzzing and writhing as she hovered close to the princess, watching her hopes for winning get flushed down the drain. Methodical and cool, Bubblegum didn't even spare time to gloat.

It was the ten, the nine, and the eight ball. That was all she needed for victory. Sweating hard, she rolled up her sleeves and chalked up her hands, noticing that the ten and the eight were very close together. If she angled this shot wrong, she would send the black ball rolling prematurely. If anyone accidentally made a shot with the black ball, the game was automatically over and the other person would win.

Bending over the table, her eyes focused on the ten, she didn't realize her mistake until it was too late.

"Hey Peebs," Finn said loudly. "What happened to your wrist?"

As she set up the shot she extended her hand out, unaware she was displaying Marceline's bite mark for all to see. Surprised, she jerked the pool stick in the wrong direction, just a fraction of an inch.

_Cl-clack clack!_

The black eight ball rolled into the corner pocket.

Finn clapped both his hands over his mouth, making a small "meep" sound as he realized he had accomplished on accident what Marceline was trying to do all night-

He'd distracted Bubblegum.


	4. Perfect First Pancakes, Part III fin

A/N: Thanks a million to everyone who favorited/commented! Your reviews are like sweet, sweet narcotics.

Also, if I go back and edit everything to replace "Bubblegum" with "Bonnibel" will anyone feel weirded out? Because it's becoming increasingly weird to write her last name now that I'm in the habit of writing "Bonni."

Also I don't know about you girls but I personally can't resist using my friend's perfumes whenever I'm at their house~~

**OoOoOo**

Whooping, Marceline tossed her pool stick wildly into the air, not caring if it happened to land on someone's head. "I win!" she said, flying circles around the table. "Ha ha ha! Who is the Pool Master? Who won the grand tournament of Ooo? Me! I did!" Righting herself, she pointed down at the rest of the party. "And you will bow before me, all of you!"

Rolling his eyes, Jake just crossed his arms and complained. "You're being a ham."

Turning her eyes black as a feeding shark's, she hovered down close to his face. "Oh yeah?" she said. "Well- _pbbbblt_." Her tongue wiggled out like a flag in the wind.

Stretching his tongue out long enough to rival hers, Jake splattered spit in her direction. "_Pbbblllttt _to you too." He blew a longer raspberry at her.

"No, _pbbbbbbbbblt _to _you_!"

"No, **you **_ppbblt_!"

Pulling at her ears, she shrunk her nose back and elongated her face, halfway shifted into her bat form. "BLUHLAHLAH LALHLALH MY NAME IS JAKE AND I'M A SOOOORE LOSER."

Making himself as thin as he could, with over exaggerated hips and what was probably supposed to be cleavage, Jake waved little tendrils around his head. It mimicked Marceline's hair surprisingly well. "OOH HOO HOO," he said in a high falsetto. "I'M MARCELINE AND I'M HYPERSENSITIVE! I'LL MISCONSTRUE EVERYTHING YOU SAY! DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA!"

Shifting into a more wolf-like form, Marceline held herself, letting loose a sob. "Oh no my wounded heart! I guess it's a good thing I'm super stretchy so I can just hug lots of people at once, instead of being able to rip the heads off of my enemies, because that's not lame!"

Waving his hair around, Jake turned and did a little dance, wagging his butt in her direction. "Wow, then I guess I'm glad I'm so hardcore! Here let me burst into song about it because I'm incapable of successfully transmitting my feelings any other way!"

Lifting up her chin, Marceline turned her head aside with a haughty _hmmph_. Flying over to Rainicorn, she wrapped her arms around the Lady's neck. "Ok fine then I'll just take off with my super hot babe and we'll have adventures without you, MAR-SUH-LEEN."

Blushing, Rainicorn looked around the room for help, not sure if it would be a good idea to play along.

"Fine, JAKE, I'm gonna go flirt with PB and hope no one notices."

Marceline turned bright red. "Fine, go have fun with your new slave."

"Fine, I will."

"Fine!"

"FINE!"

Finn grabbed the hem of Marceline's shirt, yanking her away from Rainicorn; she went limp and allowed herself to be dragged like a balloon. "All right, all right, I think that's enough ham-to-ham combat for one night," he said, setting Marceline down on the pool table. She sat on the edge of it, swinging her legs with a childish glee. "You're not allowed to make the loser do anything mean or harmful, other than that, go nuts!"

"I can't wait to see what pranks Marceline comes up with for this," Beemo said, clapping his little hands together.

Making pistols with her fingers, she shot them in Bubblegum's direction. "Hear that? He's counting on us. Slave."

The princess just sighed, rolling down her sleeves. No one had pressed her for an explanation; Finn was the only one who had gotten a good look at it, and he hadn't realized the mark on her wrist was from a vampire bite. If he wasn't going to press the issue, she wouldn't remind him of it.

Twisting her mouth, Marceline waited for the sharp retorts Bonnibel was so famous for. Nothing. She prodded further. "So if I said that you can only address me as "master" in the next twenty four hours, you have to do it!" she said, pointing at her with a wicked grin.

"Ooh, saucay," LSP muttered.

But all Bubblegum had to say was, "Yep."

She faltered, looking crestfallen as she failed to incite any sort of reaction from the princess, who was glancing into a nearby mirror now to fix her hair. "…You're kinda suckin' all the fun out of this, Peebs."

"What can I say? I accept defeat with grace and poise." She lifted herself onto the pool table next to Marceline, crossing her legs at the knees and shrugging. "So is this the next twenty four hours, or can I please have a day first to get my affairs in order?"

Grumbling, Marceline started twirling a lock of her long black hair around her index finger. "Fine, I'll reserve it for a special occasion or something."

"Well, I guess that's good news for me." Jumping off the table, she said, "And if that's the case, then it's time for me to go home to my bed. Lady, would you mind giving me a lift?"

Marceline almost fell of the table. "Wh- so soon?" she asked, floating around the princess. "It only just hit one o'clock."

"Not all of us are nocturnal, y-your highness." As if to prove her point, a stuttered yawn broke up her words. Nodding in agreement, Rainicorn gave Marceline a very pointed look and scooped the princess up onto her back.

"I'll escort you two, then," Marceline decided. "Never know what creeps are out flying at this time of night."

"Thank you, Marceline," Bubblegum said primly. "And thanks, Finn, for throwing such a fun party."

"No problem, Princess. Maybe we can do it again next week!"

If they didn't get distracted by some new adventure, that is. "Sure," she said anyway, knowing better than to expect Finn to follow any sort of plan. In the mean time, she'd get to work on building a pool table of her own. "Good night, boys! LSP, do you need a lift?"

"Naw girl, I got Brad swinging by in a bit to get me." Thinking for a moment, she flipped open her expensive new wireless phone, dialing furiously. "Hello, Brad?" she said, floating off to another corner of the room. "Yeah, lumping come pick me up already, ok bye. No- _bye_, Brad! _Brad_! Ugh!" She hung up.

"To the castle, then. I'll see you guys later," Marceline added to Finn and Jake, giving them a lazy half salute before she followed Rainicorn out the window.

Finn ran to the window and waved at them until they were far out of eyesight. Jake patted him on the shoulder, giving him a little half hug. "You ok, brother?" he asked, making sure LSP was too busy texting to eavesdrop.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Finn seemed genuine in his shock, so Jake kept quiet. He just listened to Finn talk. "We had a great adventure, all our friends came over to have a party with us, and Marceline and Bubblegum seem to be getting along better than ever! Even if they still bicker a bit. Today was a huge success!"

LSP laughed. "Uh, yeah, I'd say they're _getting along_. Jeez, do they think they're being subtle or something? Sooooo obvi."

Finn frowned, looking from LSP to Jake and back again. "What's obvious?" he asked, pulling his hat off and scratching at his head.

"Uhhhh..." the dog trailed off. "Umm... bro, I think we need to have a talk."

**OoOoOo**

That rainicorn was worse than a mother around Bubblegum. After several heavy hints and finally an actual plea from Bonnibel to let them have a moment, she 'decided' that it was time for her to head home as well. However, she didn't leave before sticking her face in Marceline's personal bubble, letting out a heavy snort as a warning. The vampire queen held up both her hands for peace, smiling nervously. "What? I'm not gonna hurt her," she said, sounding insulted. "You make some bold accusations, Lady."

Grumbling under her breath, the faithful Lady finally left, and they were alone. "She's a good friend," Marceline said as she watched the lithe shape disappear into the clouds.

"Yes, she is." Standing next to Marceline on the balcony, she leaned against the railing, looking out into the night. "...Everyone knows, don't they."

"Yeah... we're bad at this."

Her hands found her face as she leaned over the railing like she had suddenly gone boneless, groaning loudly. "I'm a fool."

Awkwardly reaching out, Marceline patted her on the shoulder. "There there? At least they don't seem to be against it."

"Probably because they're just as confused as we are."

"Well, there's that." Pulling her into a hug, she nuzzled the top of her head. "I've been playing this by ear, myself. Hasn't let me down so far!"

Bubblegum wasn't about to pull away when her face was being squished into Marceline's chest, so she gladly returned the embrace, sighing deeply. Marceline must have gone burrowing through her makeup cabinet, because she smelled like an old perfume Bonni had bought months ago, but never used. Somehow, black licorice smelled much better on the vampire. Must be a unique combination with her personal chemical makeup. "Your intuition lets you down all the time, Marcy, I don't know how that's supposed to be reassuring."

Grounding herself so that they were on even footing again, Marceline reached down to pinch Bubblegum's bottom. "Watch it."

"Or what?" she dared, lifting her chin up with a defiant smirk.

"Or.. or I'll make you my slave and you won't get any work done tomorrow."

Pressing up against the vampire, she locked her arms around the other girl's neck, hands extended out into the night. It was almost instinct for Marceline to respond by placing her hands on Bubblegum's hips. "Oooh, what a punishment," she said, sticking out her tongue.

Flushing, Marceline struggled to come up with something to say to that, becoming more and more flustered the longer the silence went on. "Well?" Bubblegum asked.

Gripping the back of her pink head, Marceline pulled her in for a kiss, still blushing furiously. Pulling free and untangling herself from the princess, she lifted up into the air, hovering a safe distance away. "Y-you have work to do, so stop trying to use me as an excuse to procrastinate," she said, crossing her arms. "But I'll definitely see you again tomorrow night so we can hang out again. Like a real date. I mean, if you want." There was a long pause. "Is that ok?"

"Yes, that would be... that would work."

"Great. I'll try to pick you up before midnight so you don't pass out on me again."

Bubblegum covered her face, turning away with embarrassment. "You're never going to let me forget that, are you?"

"How could I? It's just too quality."

Shooing the vampire away, she went back inside her room. "Oh, just get out of here, you. I'll see you tomorrow evening."

"Night, princess."

Bubblegum stood with her hands on the open door, grinning up at the other girl. "Good night, queen of the skies, o dearest of vampires!" She closed the door as Marceline started cracking up, recalling the incident with the apples.

She went to bed with a smile on her face, and a little more of the confusion that darkened her heart was wiped away.

**OoOoOo**

Truth be told, Marceline was fully aware and prepared for the fact that the last few nights might have been a fantasy, or a mistake. Nothing between her and Bubblegum had been fully resolved yet, and it was still too soon to say they were dating again. This was just a date. Possibly.

Some part of her expected to be turned down last second when she wound her way up the spiral staircase to the princess' room. Deciding to be nice and proper, she took the front door this time, suffering more than a few curious and sometimes hostile looks from the staff. She had a lot of candy friends who knew she would never hurt them, but there were still people out there who believed all the rumors that she herself had started: that she was heartless, a killer, a ruthless queen.

It helped her image. Sometimes it hurt her feelings. She just had to accept it as a part of her life and move on.

No sooner than she had knocked on the door, though, than Bonnibel Bubblegum flung it open and hugged her tight as she could, saying, "Marceline! How good to see you, my friend. Come on inside, I was just wrapping up a few letters that need to be sent out before the sun fully sets."

Well. So far so good.

Still a little cautious but mostly hopeful, Marceline went inside and hovered about, letting Bubblegum wrap up her work before they could head out. "You never told me what we would be doing tonight," Bubblegum said as she gathered up a handful of scrolls, checking to make sure each one was labeled correctly. "I trust I am dressed correctly?"

As far as Marceline was concerned, jeans were _always _correct (especially jeans that showed off Bubblegum's butt), but she knew what the princess meant. "Yes. You look great," she added, fiddling with the drawstrings of her navy blue hoodie. It was still sort of light outside, so she was bundled up head to toe.

Bubblegum rang for a servant, giving them detailed instructions on what to do with each manuscript, and then she closed the door on him and turned around with a sparkle in her eyes and her hands on her hips, satisfied with a job well done. "All right. I finished working hard. Time to play hard, as the saying goes."

Marceline smiled, holding out her arms. "Awesome. I forgot my magic flying carpet, though, so I'm gonna have to carry you."

"I will set aside my magic carpet rule just this once, so consider yourself fortunate," she said, pretending to be stern as she walked over to Marceline. She wasn't sure where to grab on, though, or if she was going to be lifted piggy back style like with Rainicorn. "So- shall I just- oh!" Before she could finish, Marceline had bent down and scooped her up bridal style. "This works."

"Kay, hold on tight now," Marceline said before lifting up and heading out, treasuring the feel of being able to hold onto a girl she felt she could love.

**OoOoOo**

This place was special to Marceline. A huge- _huge_- bookstore. Except to call it a book store would be a disservice. It was more like a labyrinth, full of history both profound and trivial, and there were more than just books to be found stacked on the shelves. Only too late did her mind catch up with her heart, though- if something went wrong again, would this place just become another location ruined by bad memories of a failed relationship? There were entire continents Marceline couldn't bear to think about, knowing that here was where Ash promised to never hurt her, or there where someone else- a lover who's hated name was long pushed away into the dark corners of her mind- had given her the gift of immortality.

So maybe she was more sensitive than she let on. So what.

So she had a history of bad exes. So _what_.

Bonni was different.

...Wasn't she?

Still though, she found herself unable to not get excited when Bonni's eyes lit up at the sight of it all. The shelves stacked almost to the ceiling, and Marceline had to fly in order to reach the very top. Wrapping her arms around the princess' middle, she lifted her up to get a good view of the store.

It went on for miles, it seemed.

"Isn't this place the bomb?" Marceline asked, glee coloring her voice. "It's like a treasure hunt. I'm not into reading that much, but there's just so much more to this place than books. I once found a whole human skeleton near the basement for sale. Bought it for a song."

Bubblegum was overwhelmed; swooning was becoming an imminent threat. "There's a basement?"

"Actually, now that I think about it, it might have just been a lost customer." Marceline was still musing over the skeleton, chin resting on Bonnibel's shoulder. "I think I gave the pinky finger to Finn," she said, frowning as she tried to remember. "Anyway- you're into sciency things, right? There's a section for sciency things over here."

Setting the princess down again, she flew next to her as she walked, gaping in awe at some of the titles she read as she wound her way through the maze. "I thought there weren't any existing copies of the Libris Ignis left?" she asked, yanking it out as she passed. "Oh! And there's- oh my goodness, how have I gone my whole life not knowing this place existed?"

One eyebrow raised, Marceline glanced over at the princess. "Don't ovulate all over the floor, now. And stick close- I wasn't kidding about getting lost."

"I am incapable of ovulating _or _getting lost."

"Well, you seem to be doing your best." They had reached a fork in the path. Grabbing onto her elbow, Marceline tugged her in one direction. "C'mon. It's this way."

The princess cast a nervous glance behind her. "You.. do know how to navigate this place, though, right?"

"Of course. But then again, part of the appeal is the danger of getting lost. If it weren't for the filing system acting as a map, I'd never get out of here and probably die!" she said with a laugh, floating on ahead.

Bubblegum shivered.

"Don't worry babe. I'll make sure nothing eats you."

Not sure whether not that was a joke, the princess hurried to catch up with the vampire, reaching up to grab her hand. Startled, Marceline looked down with a shy smile, floating closer to the ground so that Bonnibel didn't have to extend her arm so much. "Just a few more minutes and we'll reach Chemistry, I think," she said, giving the warm hand a squeeze.

It turned out to be Physics, but whatever. Marceline gladly made herself useful, carrying Peebs around and finding a variety of instruments that the princess had to explain to her. She didn't exactly spend the last few hundred years refreshing some sort of college experience, so it all seemed familiar and alien at the same time. Marceline spent most of her days breaking a great variety of the laws of physics, so she found it all a little useless until Bubblegum asked her a very strange question.

"You eat red, right? So doesn't that make you a plant?"

Blinking a few times, Marceline wriggled a finger in her ear before saying, "Sorry, I think I misheard you."

"No, you heard me fine. I asked if you were photosynthetic." Finding a crystal, she stepped up so that she was chest-to-chest with Marceline, looking upwards. "Pick me up towards one of those lights on the ceiling," she said, resting one hand on her shoulder.

Marceline did so, holding her tightly around the waist, wondering if it would be too soon in the date to lean in for a kiss. But Peebs was saying something- "There aren't any colors, just light. You are eating a spectrum of light. I tried eating a strawberry after you'd drained it, once- the taste remained the same. But you took away all the color."

"Whooa. Bonnie. Bonnie. This is your concept." Making sure to keep one arm around Bubblegum's waist so that she wouldn't fall, Marceline held up her other hand for the princess to see. "Now this is what it just did." She passed her hand over the top of her head, making a whooshing noise with her lips.

So then Bubblegum had to explain chromatics to Marceline. Holding up the crystal to the light source, she caused a small rainbow to fall down on them. "See what I mean? It's just light. You get your energy from it. You're photosynthetic."

"But..." Marceline squinted, thinking hard. "...Doesn't explain how it's transmutable from person to person though. Vampirism can't be like a parasitic plant-disease-thing... can it?"

Hugging her tighter, Bubblegum ran one hand down the vampire's back. "I don't know. I think you're a very pretty plant, if that's the case."

All the color in her body rushed to her face. "Oh- well, hey, don't get any ideas now. I'm not going to become a permanent fixture in your garden just cause you're such a smooth talker." Not responding, Bubblegum just smiled at her, reaching up now to push the vampire's hood back, tucking a lock of black hair behind one pointed ear. Marceline's insides started squirming. "Y-You can stop staring at me any day now," she said, puffing her cheeks out and turning her gaze somewhere else, anywhere else.

"Why would I want to do that, though?" she asked, still stroking her hair.

An idea struck her. Courage and a bit of wickedness bolstering her, she was able to meet Bubblegum's eyes again. "I could order you to. You owe me 24 hours of slavery, you know."

"All right, but you're the one who will have to make the most of those 24 hours. I'd plan ahead, if I were you."

"You plan everything."

Shrugging helplessly, Bubblegum just winced. "I can't help it? I like organizing. I have CDO."

Tilting her head, Marceline made a questioning noise.

"CDO. It's structurally similar to OCD, except in alphabetical order." A meaningful pause. "The way it should be."

For a second, the vampire thought she was serious until she saw her poker face cracking and a grin struggling not to show itself. Laughing so hard they dipped in the air, she clutched the princess close. They made it to the ground again before she completely lost it, thank goodness, and she set Bubblegum down on her feet. She remained floating, arms around the pink monarch's neck. Locking her arms around the vampire and whirling her around once, Bubblegum couldn't contain it anymore. She pulled her in closer, one hand tilting the other girl's chin and kissing her on the lips.

But then Bubblegum darted backwards as if she had been burned, flushing. "Ah!" she said, putting her hands behind her back. "Sorry. That was forward of me. I mean, I know we have- already- but that doesn't mean I should go around stealing kisses- I mean-"

Marceline just laughed again, floating perpendicular to the floor. She got in closer. "What? Was that some sort of apology? And I didn't even have to spank you for it."

Bonnibel puffed out her cheeks. "Yes, you should make fun of me, that is how you ensure future occurences of this anomaly. Great positive reinforcement method, Marcy. Truly flawless."

Marceline reached out, grabbing a handful of pink hair. "Kiss me and say something snarky and smart again."

"Is that an order, o nightly queen?"

"It's a request."

"I can't always guarantee intelligent responses, Marcy. There's a .001 percent margin for error there, at the very least."

Grey hands grabbed the collar of her shirt. "But you're doing it _right now_."

She found her arms snaking around Marceline's waist again, expression thoughtful. "...This is actually pushing your buttons, isn't it? You're not kidding."

Shivering from head to toe, Marceline closed her eyes and nodded. "Phew. Let's go pay for these books and get out of here before I take us to the Spelunking section."

"Oh really? And what's over there?"

A long tongue ran over one fang. "Darkness."

"Tempting." Eyes thoughtful, she traced an outline of Marceline's lips with one finger. "Irresponsible, but tempting."

"Aw, geez." Shaking herself like a dog, she lifted Bubblegum into her arms. "When even you're thinking of doing something bad, I know it's time to get out."

"It's not bad," Bonnibel chided, cuddling against her. "Just illegal."

"Uahah ahahal alall alala not listening, not listening, if you're so desperate for inside my pants then we can find a nice cozy cave somewhere and hide from the sunlight. Just say the word. Till then we are on a _date_, and I am going to be a _gentleman_." Beginning to sing for real now, she flew back towards the entrance, making sure her lover had a good grip on all the books she had picked up. "_I think you left your phone in my room. It goes off and I wake up too soon. I try tellin' my friends but they can't believe what we've done is true. But I always feel that we're all right, like when we're stayin' up late at night. We perch on the porch smokin' and stay until the sky turns to li-i-i-ight_~"

Once they started seeing other travelers, Marceline seemed to calm down a bit. Her fangs didn't jut out so much, and her hair had stopped wriggling. The presence of other people reduced the risk of indecent behavior significantly. It was dark outside when they paid for their items and left, so Marceline left her hood down.

Spotting Bubblegum yawning, she said, "Want to get some caffeine in your system? There's a nice 24 hour place nearby." The whole town that housed this gargantuan monument to books was a 23 hour place, to be honest. Cobblestoned streets almost always had a person wandering along them, scholars and adventurers alike who dared to enter the labyrinth of scrolls. She gave her friend a toothy smile. "Then we can decide where to head out next."

Bubblegum was walking on her own again at this point, holding onto a bag of heavy tomes. She looked up at the vampire flying next to her, who was waiting for a response. "I think I love you, Marceline," she said instead.

"Great, I'll get the cranberry juice."

Making a screechy noise, Bubblegum stopped where she was and stomped one foot. "_Marceline_."

"What?" Marceline stuffed her hands into her hoodie pocket. Yellow eyes gleamed just a bit in the moonlight, most of her face still obscured as she looked over her shoulder at the princess.

"I... I wasn't kidding!" Bubblegum insisted. "I've... thought a lot about this. And I want to make things right with us again. What do I have to do to convince you?"

Silence stretched on, punctuated by the sporadic flutter of some night creature flying by too close. Marceline tended to attract those kinds of creatures whenever she went outside. "Come have coffee with me," she finally said. "And sit and chat and flirt with me. I need to work my way up to the point where I can feel safe saying those words to you again, but don't expect them before I'm ready. Ok?" Marceline looked away. "I don't think I'm asking for much."

_Stupid stupid stupid stupid._

Marceline waited for some sort of response. "That seems... fair," Bubblegum said. "Let's go, then."

_Stupid stupid stupid stupid._

The words rang an reverberated in her head. She lifted her hood again, keeping her hands safely in her pocket as they continued walking down the cobblestoned street, only one set of footsteps echoing in the dark. That had been her chance. Hell, that had been what she was waiting for. Her whole being ached for it, wanted to shout (I FEEL THE SAME WAY GOD WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG) from the rooftops, but then her sense of self preservation kicked in. Did she really want to get burned again? Did she really want to run the risk of giving her heart to someone who'd already dropped it, tore off a piece and kept it in her pocket? These thoughts buzzed in her head as she tried to resume the date as it had been before.

_Stupid stupid stupid stupid._

They found the drink shop, ordered and paid. They spoke more about books and music, why Marceline decided to turn her axe into a bass and why not a guitar? Another snippet of Marceline's past came to the surface, illuminated by the moon as they left the store again, drinks in hand.

"Let me try that," she said as they walked, bending down to take a tiny slurp from her straw. Coughing and grimacing, she darted away with a hiss. "Bleh! Can that even be called coffee?"

Seeming almost bashful, Bonnibel found an excuse for her milk-and-sugar-and-chocolate laden confectionary drink. "I think it has one shot of espresso? Tastes enough like coffee for me." Taking a moment to gulp another mouthful, she added, "Besides, you don't drink coffee."

"Well, if I add red dye to it..." Marceline shook her head, getting distracted again. "Look, I know what coffee tastes like, and that thing in your hands is a smoothie, not a coffee."

"I think it's more like a milkshake," Bonnibel mused.

"Fine, same difference."

"Can I try some of yours?"

"Eewww, how does grey cranberry juice go well together with a coffee monstrosity?" Marceline asked, but lowered the cup anyway for Bonnie to sip at. "You must have freaky weird taste buds."

"Mm-hmm," Bonnibel agreed with a grin. "They like a little variety from sweet to tart, now and again."

"Ooh, and what about spice-ay?" Marceline asked, eyebrows wiggling suggestively. Darting down, she pecked Bonnibel on the lips and scooted back again, grinning. "Stole my kiss back, nyah nyah."

The princess just laughed, smacking at the nearest part of Marceline she could reach. "Fine, keep it. I'll just wrestle it out of you later."

"Haha, as you wish, my love." Even though she had said it in a sarcastic tone, Marceline winced almost as soon as the word had slipped, trying to busy her mouth with the remaining juice. It was all grey, though, and utterly tasteless to her. _Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid-_

Bubblegum had definitely caught it, though, lifting one eyebrow and glancing at her askance. "And here I was thinking I was the one giving mixed signals."

"It was- habit. Habit. Old habit. I don't know- what reason do I need? I mean, I don't have to say _those words _just yet, but I do sort of feel that way." Marceline was obviously flustered, her yellow eyes darting every which way, searching for escape routes. Looking everywhere but down at Bubblegum. "I mean. Obviously. I don't sleep with people I don't luh..." She bit her lower lip, viciously. "Really, _really_ like them. You're my friend- or at least, you were my friend. You're cute- no-" she dared to flick her eyes once at Bubblegum, scanning her face carefully. "No, you're _adorable_. I like talking about books with you. I like hearing you try to explain physics to me. And- and I hold out hope that if I hang around you enough maybe I'll influence you to start listening to good music." She crossed her arms. "I don't know. Also you owe me 24 hours of servitude still. Oh my glob why am I still talking."

The princess chewed on her thoughts for an uncomfortably long moment, staring at her shoes as though they might have the answer. Scuffing one on the pavement, she tried to voice her fears. In the end, the most important one stuck out- the fear of repeating what had happened before, the pain of breaking up. Bubblegum didn't ever want to feel that way again. "But… we didn't work out last time. What will make this time different?" She challenged Marceline, because that's how progress is made. If you don't poke at the parts that hurt, you'll never find out how to heal them.

Her cheeks turned red. Redder than they had any right to be. "Because I learned from my mistakes," she said without hesitation. "Like, no one ever has perfect first pancakes, you know? Why should relationships work any different?"

Bubblegum blinked. "Beg pardon, what?"

"Aw, geez. You're really gonna make me say it." Marceline flipped her hood up, letting her hair shield most of her face. "I jumped to conclusions a lot. I got upset and paranoid and I was all irrational and stuff. And instead of trusting you to tell the truth, I just let myself believe whatever I wanted to believe in order to justify all my freak outs."

Bubblegum shook her head, holding up one hand for Marceline to pause. "No, no, I understand that. I'm fairly guilty of all you just described as well. But what I didn't understand was that pancake metaphor."

The vampire clasped her hands together, twiddling her thumbs. "Oh, you know. Like when you're making pancakes, how the first batch always comes out a little wonky, but then you get better the second time around?"

Eyebrows furrowing, Bubblegum considered this. "That's never happened to me before," she confessed.

"_What_?" She floated further away from the princess, looking at her as though she'd grown a second head. "Witchcraft," she declared soon after. "Or lies. When does a princess make her own breakfast?"

Laughs echoed along the dimly lit streets. "I'm telling the truth!" Bubblegum said, grinning up at her vampire.

"Prove it. Let's go to my place and make pancakes, right now. We can't waste a second."

Suddenly coquettish, Bubblegum twisted away, her hands clasped in front of her and her eyelashes batting. "Oh, is that what they're calling it these days?"

Her cheeks flooded with color, a small amount of heat rising from her normally cool body. Bubblegum made it her goal, then, to discover all the ways one could make a vampire blush so hard she almost looked human. "You've got a smutty mind, Princess. And don't think you'll distract me from seeing these pancakes of yours!"

Maybe realizing what she had said could be construed as another innuendo, she clammed up, biting her lower lip. Bubblegum just smiled and opened up her arms to the vampire floating above her. Marceline tilted her head to the side, eyeing the other girl cautiously.

"Get down here," Bubblegum explained. "I can't hug you when you're way up high."

Marceline gladly obliged, zooming down into her arms and holding her tightly. "I'm sorry we weren't perfect. This time we won't burn, ok?" Holding her at arm's length, she frowned at her. "At least, we better not, you just made me spout a _lot _of mushy bullshit."

Poking her in the ribs, Bubblegum made an equally rude face. "I'll let that slide because I know you needed to say it in order to save your tattered pride."

"_Thank _you."

Bubblegum poked her again. "Way to ruin the moment, though."

Marceline pecked her on the lips. Then she hefted the princess into her arms again so suddenly it caused her to squeak in surprise. Her heart feeling lighter than it had in years, she took off into the night sky, holding onto the girl she knew she could love.


End file.
